(CNN) - President Barack Obama's reelection team issued its harshest critique yet of the Republican presidential field in a memo Monday, hitting frontrunners Mitt Romney and Rick Perry over issues including Social Security and immigration.

Ben LaBolt, press secretary for Obama 2012, said the GOP candidates have embraced policies the American people oppose in an effort to "win the hearts and minds of the Tea Party."
"They would return to the policies that have been tried before and done nothing to improve economic security for the middle class, rewarding special interests who can afford to pay for lobbyists instead of looking out for working families," LaBolt wrote before praising the president's plans to create jobs and strengthen the middle class.

He referenced Texas Gov. Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Romney's positions and comments on Social Security as an example of a disconnect between the current Republican field and the American people.

"Governor Perry called Social Security a 'Ponzi scheme' and continues to question its constitutionality and Governor Romney supports turning Social Security funds over to Wall Street," LaBolt wrote. "Yet even a majority of Republicans oppose a fundamental overhaul of Social Security."

On immigration, he said the GOP field is out of step given their opposition to the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to the children of illegal immigrants.

He doled out similar disapproval for Republican budget plans that he said would "erode" entitlement programs and criticized those, including Perry and Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who have targeted federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Education.

"Instead of laying out a plan to promote America's competitiveness, the Republican candidates have focused on what they want to dismantle," LaBolt said. "America's future will be defined by the success of our middle class, but the Republican candidates are positioning themselves as champions for large corporations and special interests whose plans would leave working families in the lurch."
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